Chatham residents could have one less Election Day to attend if the Board of Education adopt a resolution moving school votes to coincide with November general elections. The board will listen to the public's input at Monday night's meeting.

Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill on Jan. 17 allowing school elections to align with November elections through any one of three possible means: Passage of a resolution by the local school board, passage of a resolution by municipal governing bodies or passage through a petition of at least 50 percent of voters within the district.

Voters would notice no change to the non-partisan school board member elections, except that the expiring terms for current school board members would be extended until the January reorganization meetings.

However, the public would no longer have the authority to vote on the school budget if it is within the 2 percent levy cap.

Any budget exceeding the cap would require approval by public vote, as would any second question.

If such a resolution is approved, the vote can be moved to November this year and must remain in November for at least four years.

Pros and Cons

Chatham Assistant Superintendent Michael LaSusa gave a presentation to the board and members of the public at the Jan. 23 meeting. Among the positive considerations for the bill, he said, are its bipartisan support within the state legislature and its support from such groups as the New Jersey School Board Association and the New Jersey Education Association.

LaSusa also said the bill would reduce the risk of a failing budget, which would affect not only the school district but also local property taxes. Also, voter turn-out tends to be greater at the November elections than at the April school elections.

However, LaSusa said, moving the vote does associate an apolitical vote with a very political one. Also, the power of outside forces to move the election without cooperation or consideration of the Board of Education "strips authority from the school board in an unprecendented manner," according to LaSusa's presentation.

The presentation may be found attached to this article.

Potential Savings

Peter Daquila, the business administrator for the School District of the Chathams, said it costs about $11,500 to hold school elections in April. "We pay the election workers, we have to pay the county charge for the election and we have to pay for the voting machines," he said, "and that does not include the district [newsletter]," which is mailed to every household.

Because local governments already cover the cost of municipal November elections, the district would save the complete cost of the school elections by moving it to November. Under the new law, the board be responsible for paying any increased costs incurred by the county election board.

The law also still requires open public hearings on the budget, as is currently required. "We don't want the public to be less educated," Interim Superintendent Dennis Fyffe said.

"The thing to keep in mind is the $11,500 ... is really just the tip of the iceberg," Fyffe said. "A tremendous, tremendous amount of administrative effort goes into the [election] process here, often with good result in this town, but not guaranteed."

The PTOs, Education Counts and school board also volunteer their time toward publicizing and "selling," in Fyffe's word, the school budget each year, taking time that would otherwise go toward the governing of the schools and to "things that are more critical" than selling a budget within the mandated cap.

"I think the cost has to be evaluated carefully," Fyffe said. 

A Political Question

Opponents of the move argue the bill strips voters of their input into the school budget, which accounts for more than 60 percent of local property taxes in both Chatham Borough and Chatham Township.

Any second question for additional funding would also require a 60 percent approval by public vote.

"The second question can almost be a red herring on this," Fyffe said. "Most second questions in the state fail anyway, and boards are loathe to go out for a second question."

School board members would run on the same ballot as political candidates, though their political parties would not be stipulated on the ballot. The district cannot hold a budget vote in April and board member votes in November. "It's all or nothing," LaSusa said.

Another potential downside, according to LaSusa's presentation, is voters could vote down a school budget over the 2 percent cap based on local, county, state or national political issues or frustrations. Fyffe, however, does not think that is likely in a community such as Chatham, which has not voted down a school budget since the districts merged in 1988.

"You have a very educated community here," Fyffe said.

"I don't think people are going to care who's fighting over mayor or who's running for council. They're going to look at this as a separate question related to the schools. I would be stunned if this got caught up in political nonsense."

The Same as the Municipal Budget

Christopher Cerf, the acting commissioner of the state Department of Education, wrote a letter to all school superintendents within the state encouraging school boards to consider moving their elections to November. Fyffe, particularly noted one paragraph from Cerf's letter, which can be found attached to this article:

"Over the past year, I have heard from amny of you that it is unfair for the school bduget to be the only governmental budget placed on the ballot and, furthermore, that the new levy cap greatly diminishes the need for a budget vote. The passage of this bipartisan law provides both school budget savings and increased voter participation in the process."

Board of Education President Tom Belding said the board heard a presentation at the Jan. 23 meeting by LaSusa, and discussed the issue publicly. "I don't think we were leaning one way or the other," Belding said.

Monday's school board meeting will take place at the Chatham High School auditorium and will begin at 7 p.m. Belding said he hopes members of the community will come and make their opinions known to the board before any action is taken.

"It depends on what the community is asking for," Fyffe said. "Obviously this is a school board that has always responded well to the community. If the community said this is worthwhile for them, then I think they would listen to that."